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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Herbed Chicken Noodle Casserole

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I overbooked my day today and, not surprisingly, the clock ran out before my plate was cleared of crumbs. Among the items not addressed was that thing we call dinner. Usually that would mean a quick dinner out, but restricted choices during Lent made that a poor option for us tonight. Take out was equally unappealing because it meant venturing into rain that would impress even Noah. Based on a scan of the fridge and pantry and a list of my quick fix recipes, I decided it would be a perfect night for a chicken noodle casserole. I had the remains of a rotisserie chicken, some noodles, and the frozen vegetables I needed to pull this off. I chose this casserole because a kiss of tarragon gives it a more intriguing flavor than many dishes of its type and, more importantly, the Silver Fox likes it. So, I set the kettle to boil and made a thin bechamel (white) sauce using a quick-mixing flour, a product I often use when I'm in a hurry or want to brown meat. I stripped and shredded the chicken and ran some frozen peas and carrots under hot tap water for a quick thaw. The noodles went into the kettle and some Parmesan cheese was stirred into the sauce along with a squeeze of lemon juice and the tarragon. When the noodles were done, they were drained and and added to the sauce along with the chicken and vegetables. The mixture was turned into a casserole dish, topped with more cheese and transferred to the oven to bake until heated through. It took all of 15 minutes to assemble and another 30 minutes to cook. I am including directions for the white sauce because I use a quick-mixing flour. Feel free to use another white sauce if you prefer and, if you hate tarragon, use a herb more to your liking . I use whole milk to make my sauce but you can use reduced fat dairy if you wish. Here's the recipe.

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Lightly spray a 1-1/2 quart casserole with cooking spray. Set aside.
2) To make white sauce: Combine milk, flour, butter, salt and pepper in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, over medium heat. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice, tarragon and Parmesan cheese and stir until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
2) To make casserole mixture: Stir vegetables, chicken and noodles into white sauce, combining well. Turn into prepared casserole dish. Top with grated cheese and bake for about 30 minute, or until heated through and cheese has melted. Yield: 4 servings.

We're remodeling a condo, so that day you had happens to us often, very often in fact. Your chicken noodle casserole sounds perfect for those days, but I also know my husband would love this for dinner any day.Sam

Okay, this is just too weird - I literally just posted a tuna casserole thingy and then clicked over to your blog to see what you're up to! Great minds eh? Your lovely dish has something mine doesn't - cheese!! Which makes it faboo in my book. : )

I like using tarragon with chicken. I actually like it in my clam chawder too...so maybe it's a creamy thing that it works so well with. I like getting these spur of the moment dinner ideas! It looks wonderful!

I never considered making a sauce quite that easily by using a quick-mixing flour. I have Wondra in my pantry, and it never gets used. Thanks for the tip. This tasty sounding casserole is a keeper for busy night.

This looks like a great "comfort meal". I'm so very excited, because this is one of the first chicken noodle casseroles that I've seen, that does not call for cream of mushroom soup. (My husband refuses to eat mushrooms!) Bookmarking!

that casserole looks wonderful and comforting, Mary. Thanks for the recipe for the white sauce...did you use Wondra? I think that is a quick mixing flour, right? Have a wonderful day and hopefully the sun is shining for you today!

I love that you made a pantry meal! Sometimes those are the most rewarding because you clear out ingredients that have been sitting a while, and it nourishes your creativity thinking something up. This looks delicious! Thank you for your sweet comment about my anniversary :) Much love!

Mary, I just love that you "threw" this together! It looks like something in a magazine!I always have the ingredients on hand, so this would be an easy and great recipe for me too.Unfortunately, I am not a fan of tarragon but I'll use other herbs.Wonderful, as usual.Yvonne

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